CN112644179B

CN112644179B - Liquid collecting device, liquid ejecting apparatus, and method for controlling liquid ejecting apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN112644179B
Application number: CN202011048915.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金泽佑二; 横山直树; 山口昌信; 木村仁俊
Original assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Current assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date: 2019-10-09
Filing date: 2020-09-29
Publication date: 2023-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-29
Also published as: US11325383B2; JP7427904B2; JP2021059088A; CN112644179A; US20210107285A1

Abstract

Provided are a liquid collecting device, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a method for controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus, which can reduce the possibility of wiping a liquid ejecting portion with a portion of a belt-like member to which liquid is attached. The device is provided with: a band-like member (60) capable of absorbing liquid; an unreeling unit (70) which has an unreeling shaft (69) and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape; a pressing section capable of pressing a contact portion (60 a) located in a contact area (A2) in the strip-shaped member unwound from the unwinding section and bringing the contact portion into contact with a liquid ejection section (20) capable of ejecting a liquid; and a winding section (72) which has a winding shaft (71) and which is capable of moving the contact section in the movement direction (D) by winding the belt-shaped member, wherein in an inclined region (A3) provided downstream in the movement direction from the pressing section (76), the inclination of the belt-shaped member toward the downstream and the lower in the movement direction is greater than the inclination of the belt-shaped member toward the upstream and the lower in the movement direction from the pressing section.

Description

Liquid collecting device, liquid ejecting apparatus, and method for controlling liquid ejecting apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a liquid collecting device, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a method for controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus.

Background

For example, as shown in patent document 1, there is a printer as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus as follows: ink as an example of liquid is ejected from a printhead as an example of a liquid ejection portion to perform printing. The printer is provided with a cleaning device as an example of a liquid collecting device having a roll paper supply source as an example of an unreeling portion, and supplying roll paper as an example of a belt-like member; and a main shaft as an example of a winding portion that winds the roll paper. The cleaning device slides the roll paper supplied from the roll paper supply source and the print head, so that the roll paper absorbs ink.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-300329.

The liquid absorbed by the band-shaped member diffuses within the band-shaped member. In particular, when the liquid wets out upstream from the contact area where the liquid ejecting portion contacts, even if the belt-like member is wound up, the portion where the liquid is adhered easily remains in the contact area, and there is a possibility that the liquid ejecting portion is wiped by the belt-like member where the liquid is adhered.

Disclosure of Invention

The liquid collecting device for solving the above problems comprises: a band-like member capable of absorbing a liquid; an unreeling unit which has an unreeling shaft and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with a liquid ejection portion capable of ejecting the liquid; and a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member, wherein an inclination of the belt-like member toward downstream and downstream in the moving direction in an inclined region provided downstream in the moving direction from the pressing portion is larger than an inclination of the belt-like member toward upstream and downstream in the moving direction from the pressing portion.

The liquid ejecting apparatus for solving the above problems includes: a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid; a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid; an unreeling unit which has an unreeling shaft and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion; a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member; and a control section that, when a length of the contact portion in the moving direction is set as a contact length, causes the winding section to wind the belt-like member by a length longer than the contact length after bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting section.

In a method for controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above-described problems, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid; a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid; an unreeling unit that holds the tape-shaped member in a state in which the tape-shaped member is rolled into a roll; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion; and a winding portion capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member, wherein in the control method of the liquid ejecting apparatus, when a length of the contact region in the moving direction is set to a contact length, the belt-like member is wound by a length longer than the contact length after the contact portion is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a liquid ejection device.

Fig. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the liquid ejecting section and the carriage.

Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the maintenance unit.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the liquid collection device with the housing in a standby position.

Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the liquid collecting device of the wiping liquid ejecting section.

Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the liquid collection device with the housing in a receiving position.

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the liquid collecting apparatus with the belt-like member wound up.

Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting apparatus of a first modification.

Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting apparatus of a second modification.

Fig. 10 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting apparatus of a third modification.

Description of the reference numerals

11 … liquid spraying means; 12 … feet; 13 … shell; 14 … medium; 15 … feed-out part; 16 … guide; 17 … recovery unit; 18 … tension imparting means; 20 … liquid ejecting portions; 21 … carriage; 22 … maintenance unit; 23 … liquid supply means; 24 … operator panel; 25 … liquid container; 26 … mount; 27 … supply channels; 29 … control part; 31 … guide shaft; 32 … carriage motor; 34 … wind shaping part; 36 … nozzle; 37 … nozzle forming part; 38 … cover member; 39 … through portions; 40 … nozzle face; 42 … flushing device; 43 … liquid collecting means; 44 … suction means; 45 … capping device; 47 … liquid receiving portions; 48 … cover member; 49 … cover motor; 51 … suction cap; 52 … holding body for suction; 53 … attraction motor; 54 … pressure relief mechanism; 56 … place a cover; 57 … holding body for placing; 58 … motor for placement; 60 … ribbon-like members; 60a … contact portion; 61 … casing; 62 … guide rail; 63 … motor for wiping; 64 … winding motor; 65 … power transmission mechanism; 66 … first opening; 67 … second opening; 69 … unreels; 70 … unreeling part; 71 … take-up reel; 72 … reel portion; 74 … upstream roller; 75 … tension roller; 76 … pressing part; 77 … restraining rolls; 78 … first horizontal roller; 79 … second horizontal roller; 81 and … pressing roller; 82 … downstream roller; 83 … nip rolls; θ … upstream angle; θ … downstream angle; θ … gentle angle; θ … steep angle; a1 … upstream region; a2 … contact region; a3 … sloped region; a4 … horizontal region; a5 … gentle slope region; a6 … steep slope region; CP … cleaning position; d … direction of movement; g1 to G6 … first to sixth nozzle groups; h … height; HP … initial position; l1 to L12 … first to twelfth nozzle rows; lc … contact length; ls … slope length; w1 … first wiping direction; a second wiping direction W2; x … width direction; y … depth direction; z … direction of gravity.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid collecting device, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a method of controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus is, for example, an inkjet printer that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper and performs printing.

In the drawings, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is a device placed on a horizontal plane, and the direction of gravity is indicated by a Z axis and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by an X axis and a Y axis. The X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, a direction along the X axis is referred to as a width direction X, a direction along the Y axis is referred to as a depth direction Y, and a direction along the Z axis is referred to as a gravity direction Z.

As shown in fig. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a pair of legs 12 and a housing 13 assembled to the legs 12. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may further include: a delivery unit 15 that unwinds and delivers the medium 14 wound in a roll form; a guide portion 16 that guides the medium 14 discharged from the housing 13; and a recovery unit 17 for winding up and recovering the medium 14. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may further include a tension applying mechanism 18 for applying tension to the medium 14 collected by the collecting unit 17.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a liquid ejecting portion 20 capable of ejecting liquid, a carriage 21 that moves the liquid ejecting portion 20, and a maintenance unit 22 that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting portion 20. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a liquid supply device 23 for supplying liquid to the liquid ejecting portion 20 and an operation panel 24 operated by a user. The carriage 21 reciprocates the liquid ejecting section 20 along the X axis. The liquid ejecting section 20 ejects the liquid supplied by the liquid supply device 23 while moving, and performs printing on the medium 14.

The liquid supply device 23 includes: a mounting portion 26 to which a plurality of liquid containers 25 for containing liquid are detachably mounted; and a supply channel 27 for supplying liquid from the liquid container 25 attached to the attachment portion 26 to the liquid ejecting portion 20.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a control unit 29 that controls the operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11. The control unit 29 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, and the like. The control unit 29 executes a program stored in the memory by the CPU to control the liquid ejecting unit 20, the liquid supply device 23, the maintenance unit 22, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a guide shaft 31 that supports the carriage 21 and a carriage motor 32 that moves the carriage 21. The guide shaft 31 extends in the width direction X. The control unit 29 controls driving of the carriage motor 32 to reciprocate the carriage 21 and the liquid ejecting unit 20 along the guide shaft 31.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a wind shaping portion 34 held at a lower portion of the carriage 21. When the wind straightening portions 34 are provided on both sides of the liquid ejecting portion 20 in the width direction X, the air flow around the liquid ejecting portion 20 that reciprocates along the X axis can be easily adjusted.

The liquid ejecting section 20 may include a nozzle forming member 37 that forms a plurality of nozzles 36, and a cover member 38 that covers a part of the nozzle forming member 37. The cover member 38 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The cover member 38 has a plurality of through holes 39 formed therein, which penetrate the cover member 38 in the gravity direction Z. The cover member 38 covers the side of the nozzle forming member 37 where the nozzle 36 is formed, so that the nozzle 36 is exposed from the through hole 39. The nozzle surface 40 is formed by including a nozzle forming member 37 and a cover member 38. Specifically, the nozzle surface 40 is composed of the nozzle forming member 37 and the cover member 38 exposed from the through hole 39, and is formed with the nozzle 36 that ejects liquid.

In the liquid ejecting section 20, a plurality of openings of the nozzles 36 ejecting liquid are arranged at regular intervals in one direction. The plurality of nozzles 36 constitute a nozzle row. In the present embodiment, the openings of the nozzles 36 are arranged in the depth direction Y, and constitute the first nozzle row L1 to the twelfth nozzle row L12. The nozzles 36 constituting one nozzle row eject the same kind of liquid. Among the nozzles 36 constituting one nozzle row, the nozzle 36 located on the rear side in the depth direction Y and the nozzle 36 located on the front side in the depth direction Y are formed at positions shifted in the width direction X.

The first to twelfth nozzle rows L1 to L12 are arranged in the width direction X so as to be close to each other every two rows. In the present embodiment, two nozzle rows arranged in proximity to each other are referred to as a nozzle group. In the liquid ejecting section 20, the first to sixth nozzle groups G1 to G6 are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction X.

Specifically, the first nozzle group G1 includes a first nozzle row L1 that ejects magenta ink and a second nozzle row L2 that ejects yellow ink. The second nozzle group G2 includes a third nozzle row L3 that ejects cyan ink and a fourth nozzle row L4 that ejects black ink. The third nozzle group G3 includes a fifth nozzle row L5 that ejects light cyan ink and a sixth nozzle row L6 that ejects light magenta ink. The fourth nozzle group G4 includes a seventh nozzle row L7 and an eighth nozzle row L8 for ejecting the processing liquid. The fifth nozzle group G5 includes a ninth nozzle column L9 that ejects black ink and a tenth nozzle column L10 that ejects cyan ink. The sixth nozzle group G6 includes an eleventh nozzle column L11 that ejects yellow ink and a twelfth nozzle column L12 that ejects magenta ink.

Next, the maintenance unit 22 will be described.

As shown in fig. 3, the maintenance unit 22 has a flushing device 42, a liquid collecting device 43, a suction device 44, and a capping device 45 arranged in the width direction X. Above the capping device 45 is the initial position HP of the liquid ejecting section 20. The initial position HP is a start point of movement of the liquid ejecting section 20. Above the liquid collection device 43 is a cleaning position CP of the liquid ejecting section 20. In fig. 3, the liquid ejecting section 20 located at the cleaning position CP is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

The flushing device 42 receives the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting section 20 by flushing. Flushing refers to maintenance of the liquid as a waste jet in order to prevent and eliminate clogging of the nozzles 36.

The flushing device 42 includes: a liquid receiving portion 47 that receives the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting portion 20 for flushing; a cover member 48 for covering the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47; and a cover motor 49 for moving the cover member 48. The flushing device 42 may include a plurality of liquid receiving portions 47 and a plurality of cover members 48. The control unit 29 may select the liquid receiving unit 47 according to the type of liquid. The flushing device 42 of the present embodiment includes two liquid receiving portions 47, one liquid receiving portion 47 receives a plurality of color inks ejected from the liquid ejecting portion 20 by flushing, and the other liquid receiving portion 47 receives a processing liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting portion 20 by flushing. The liquid receiving portion 47 may contain a moisturizing liquid.

The cover member 48 is moved between a covering position, not shown, for covering the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47 and an exposing position shown in fig. 3 for exposing the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47 by driving of the cover motor 49. When the flushing is not performed, the cover member 48 is moved to the covering position, so that the drying of the stored moisturizing liquid or the received liquid is suppressed.

The suction device 44 includes a suction cap 51, a suction holder 52, a suction motor 53 that reciprocates the suction holder 52 along the Z axis, and a decompression mechanism 54 that decompresses the suction cap 51. The suction motor 53 moves the suction cover 51 between the contact position and the retracted position. The contact position is a position where the suction cap 51 contacts the liquid ejecting section 20 and surrounds the nozzle 36. The retracted position is a position where the suction cap 51 is away from the liquid ejecting portion 20. The suction cap 51 may be configured to surround all the nozzles 36 in a concentrated manner, may surround at least one nozzle group, or may surround a part of the nozzles 36 among the nozzles 36 constituting the nozzle group. The suction device 44 of the present embodiment surrounds one of the first to sixth nozzle groups G1 to G6 with two suction caps 51.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 can perform suction cleaning as follows: the liquid ejecting section 20 is positioned above the suction device 44, and the suction cap 51 is positioned at the contact position to surround one nozzle group, and the inside of the suction cap 51 is depressurized to discharge the liquid from the nozzles 36. That is, the suction device 44 can receive the liquid discharged by the suction cleaning.

The capping device 45 has a placement cap 56, a placement holder 57, and a placement motor 58 that reciprocates the placement holder 57 along the Z-axis. The placement holder 57 and the placement cover 56 are moved upward or downward by driving the placement motor 58. The placement cover 56 moves from the lower position, i.e., the separation position, to the upper position, i.e., the capping position, and contacts the liquid ejecting section 20 stopped at the home position HP.

The set cover 56 in the capping position surrounds the openings of the nozzles 36 constituting the first to sixth nozzle groups G1 to G6. Thus, maintenance of the placement cap 56 surrounding the opening of the nozzle 36 is referred to as placement capping. The placement of the caps is one type of capping. By placing the cap, drying of the nozzle 36 is suppressed.

The placement cover may be configured to surround all the nozzles 36 in a concentrated manner, may surround at least one nozzle group, or may surround a part of the nozzles 36 among the nozzles 36 constituting the nozzle group.

Next, the liquid collecting device 43 will be described.

As shown in fig. 3, the liquid collecting device 43 includes a belt-like member 60 capable of absorbing liquid. The liquid collecting device 43 may include a housing 61 that accommodates the belt-like member 60, a pair of rails 62 extending along the Y-axis, a motor 63 for wiping, a motor 64 for winding, and a power transmission mechanism 65 that transmits power of the motor 64 for winding. The housing 61 has a first opening 66 and a second opening 67 through which the band member 60 is exposed. When the size of the band-like member 60 in the width direction X is equal to or larger than the size of the nozzle surface 40, the liquid ejecting section 20 can be efficiently maintained.

As shown in fig. 3, the housing 61 is reciprocated along the Y axis on the rail 62 by the power of the motor 63 for wiping. Specifically, the housing 61 moves between the standby position shown in fig. 4 and the receiving position shown in fig. 3. When the wiping motor 63 is driven in normal rotation, the housing 61 located at the standby position moves in the first wiping direction W1 parallel to the Y axis toward the receiving position. When the wiping motor 63 is driven in reverse, the housing 61 located at the receiving position moves in the second wiping direction W2 opposite to the first wiping direction W1 toward the standby position.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may wipe the liquid ejecting section 20 in at least one of the process of moving the housing 61 from the standby position to the receiving position and the process of moving the housing 61 from the receiving position to the standby position. Wiping refers to maintenance of wiping the nozzle face 40 by the band member 60.

As shown in fig. 4, the liquid collecting device 43 includes an unreeling portion 70 and a reeling portion 72, the unreeling portion 70 includes an unreeling shaft 69, and the reeling portion 72 includes a reeling shaft 71. The unreeling section 70 holds the tape member 60 in a state in which the tape member 60 is rolled into a roll shape. The tape member 60 unwound and fed out from the unwinding section 70 is conveyed to the winding section 72 along a conveying path. The liquid collecting device 43 may include an upstream roller 74, a tension roller 75, a pressing portion 76, a restricting roller 77, a first horizontal roller 78, and a second horizontal roller 79, which are provided in this order from the upstream along the conveyance path of the belt-like member 60. The housing 61 supports the unwinding shaft 69, the upstream roller 74, the tension roller 75, the pressing portion 76, the restricting roller 77, the first horizontal roller 78, the second horizontal roller 79, and the winding shaft 71 rotatably about the X axis as an axis direction.

The winding shaft 71 is rotated by driving the winding motor 64. The winding portion 72 winds the band member 60 in a roll form around the winding shaft 71. The winding portion 72 moves the portion of the belt member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 70 in the moving direction D by winding the belt member 60. The moving direction D is a direction along the conveying path of the belt-like member 60, and is a direction from the upstream unreeling portion 70 toward the downstream reeling portion 72.

The power transmission mechanism 65 may connect the winding motor 64 to the winding shaft 71 when the housing 61 is in the standby position, and disconnect the winding motor 64 from the winding shaft 71 when the housing 61 is separated from the standby position. The winding motor 64 may drive at least one of the winding shaft 71, the upstream roller 74, the tension roller 75, the pressing portion 76, the restricting roller 77, the first horizontal roller 78, and the second horizontal roller 79 to rotate together with the winding shaft 71.

The tension roller 75 is disposed upstream of the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D and below the gravity direction Z. The tension roller 75 applies tension to the belt member 60 by pressing the belt member 60 downward.

The pressing portion 76 of the present embodiment is a roller around which the belt member 60 is wound. The pressing portion 76 presses the tape member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 70 from below toward above, so that the tape member 60 protrudes from the first opening 66.

The regulating roller 77 is disposed downstream of the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D and below the gravitational direction Z. The restricting roller 77 applies tension to the belt member 60 by pressing the belt member 60 downward, and restricts the belt member 60 so as to be directed downward from the pressing portion 76.

The conveying path may have an upstream area A1 upstream of the pressing portion 76, a contact area A2 where the belt-like member 60 can be brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion 20, an inclined area A3 where the belt-like member 60 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and a horizontal area A4 where the belt-like member 60 is kept substantially horizontal.

The upstream area A1 is an area from the lowermost portion of the tension roller 75 to the upstream end of the contact area A2. The pressing portion 76 is located downstream and above the tension roller 75 in the moving direction D. Therefore, the belt-like member 60 located in the upstream region A1 becomes a rising slope that rises in a direction opposite to the gravitational direction Z as it advances downstream in the moving direction D. In the present embodiment, an upstream angle θ1 between the horizontal plane indicated by the one-dot chain line in fig. 4 and the belt-like member 60 located in the upstream area A1 is smaller than 30 degrees. The upstream angle θ1 is an angle between a portion of the belt-like member 60 located in the contact area A2, which is not in contact with the pressing portion 76 and the tension roller 75, and a horizontal plane.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the contact area A2 is an area that contacts the liquid ejecting portion 20 when wiping is performed. The pressing portion 76 can press the contact portion 60a located in the contact region A2 in the belt-like member 60, so that the contact portion 60a is in contact with the liquid ejecting portion 20. That is, the liquid collecting device 43 wipes the liquid ejecting section 20 by moving the housing 61 in a state where the contact portion 60a is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting section 20. In the drawing, the contact portion 60a is indicated by hatching.

As shown in fig. 4, the inclined area A3 is provided further downstream in the moving direction D than the pressing portion 76. The inclined area A3 is an area from the downstream end of the contact area A2 to the lowermost portion of the regulating roller 77 that the belt-like member 60 contacts. The regulating roller 77 is located downstream and below the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D. Therefore, the belt-like member 60 located in the inclined area A3 forms a downward slope that decreases in the gravity direction Z as it advances downstream in the moving direction D. In the present embodiment, the downstream angle θ2 formed by the horizontal plane and the belt-like member 60 located in the inclined area A3 is greater than 30 degrees. That is, the inclination of the belt member 60 with respect to the horizontal plane downstream and below the moving direction D in the inclined area A3 is larger than the inclination of the belt member 60 with respect to the horizontal plane upstream and below the moving direction D from the pressing portion 76.

The inclined length Ls of the inclined region A3 in the moving direction D may be longer than the contact length Lc of the contact portion 60a in the moving direction D. The height H of the inclined area A3 in the gravitational direction Z may be higher than the height of the belt-like member 60 that sucks up the liquid in the gravitational direction Z. The inclined region A3 may have a volume capable of absorbing and retaining the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60 a.

The horizontal area A4 is an area from the uppermost portion of the first horizontal roller 78 to the uppermost portion of the second horizontal roller 79. The first horizontal roller 78 and the second horizontal roller 79 are disposed at the same height in the gravitational direction Z, and keep the belt-like member 60 located in the horizontal area A4 substantially horizontal. The horizontal area A4 is located below the second opening 67, and the belt-like member 60 located in the horizontal area A4 is exposed from the second opening 67.

As shown in fig. 6, when the housing 61 is located at the receiving position and the liquid ejecting section 20 is located at the cleaning position CP, the belt-like member 60 of the horizontal area A4 is opposed to the nozzle face 40. In this state, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 can perform pressurized cleaning in which the pressurized liquid is discharged from the nozzle 36. That is, the liquid collecting device 43 can receive the liquid discharged by the pressurized cleaning.

The operation of the present embodiment will be described.

First, the case where the control unit 29 sequentially performs suction cleaning, wiping, and flushing as maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 20 will be described.

The control unit 29 stops the liquid ejecting unit 20 above the suction device 44, and performs suction cleaning on the nozzle group to be suction cleaned. When the suction cleaning is completed, the control section 29 moves the liquid ejecting section 20 to the cleaning position CP.

As shown in fig. 4, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in a normal rotation in a state where the housing 61 is located at the standby position, and moves the housing 61 in the first wiping direction W1.

As shown in fig. 5, the liquid collecting device 43 brings the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid ejecting section 20 and wipes it. Specifically, the housing 61 presses the belt member 60 against the nozzle surface 40 by the pressing portion 76 and moves in a state where the belt member 60 is sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40, whereby the liquid collecting device 43 wipes.

As shown in fig. 6, when the housing 61 is moved to the receiving position, the control section 29 stops the driving of the wiping motor 63 and starts the movement of the liquid ejecting section 20 from the cleaning position CP. Thereafter, the control unit 29 drives and reverses the wiping motor 63, and moves the housing 61 in the second wiping direction W2.

As shown in fig. 7, when the casing 61 is returned to the standby position, the control unit 29 drives the winding motor 64. The winding portion 72 moves the contact portion 60a in the movement direction D by winding the belt-like member 60. At this time, the control unit 29 may cause the winding unit 72 to wind the belt-like member 60 by a length longer than the contact length Lc, and move the contact portion 60a toward the inclined area A3.

The liquid absorbed by the belt member 60 due to wiping is spread in the belt member 60. When the liquid is ink, the coloring matter component is also diffused together with the solvent component of the ink diffused in the band member 60. When the contact portion 60a is located in the contact area A2, the liquid easily diffuses toward the inclined area A3 having a large inclination with respect to the contact area A2 due to the action of gravity, but also diffuses toward the upstream area A1 having a small inclination with respect to the contact area A2. In the band member 60, the range of liquid diffusion becomes large with the passage of time. Therefore, the controller 29 can increase the length of the winding belt member 60 as the time from the start of wiping the belt member 60 to the winding of the belt member 60 increases. In addition, when the contact portion 60a is moved to the inclined area A3 by winding the belt-like member 60, the liquid is less likely to spread toward the contact area A2 on the unreeled portion 70 side than the inclined area A3 due to the action of gravity than when the contact portion 60a is located in the contact area A2. However, due to the force of the liquid being sucked up by the belt-like member 60 in the gravitational direction Z, the liquid spreads toward the contact area A2 on the unreeled portion 70 side. Therefore, the controller 29 can lengthen the length of the wound strip member 60 as the elapsed time from the start of wiping the strip member 60 to the estimated next wiping is longer. That is, the control unit 29 may wind up the band member 60 by the following length: the total length of the liquid spreading from the contact area A2 in the direction opposite to the moving direction D and the contact length Lc is estimated to be equal to or longer than the total length.

When the wiping is completed, the control unit 29 moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 in the width direction X or in a direction opposite to the width direction X, and performs flushing to eject the liquid from the liquid ejecting unit 20 at a timing when the liquid ejecting unit 20 passes through the liquid receiving unit 47.

Next, the case where the control unit 29 sequentially performs pressurized cleaning, wiping, and flushing as maintenance of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 will be described.

As shown in fig. 3 and 6, when the pressure cleaning is performed, the control unit 29 moves the housing 61 to the receiving position and stops. After that, the control section 29 moves the liquid ejecting section 20 to the cleaning position CP and stops.

The control unit 29 controls the liquid supply device 23 to supply the pressurized liquid to the nozzle 36 and discharge the liquid from the nozzle 36. The liquid discharged from the nozzle 36 stays on the nozzle face 40 to wet out. When the amount of liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 40 becomes large, the liquid drops from the nozzle surface 40. At this time, the belt-like member 60 is located immediately below the nozzle 36. Therefore, in the pressurized cleaning, the belt-like member 60 located in the horizontal area A4 receives the liquid staying on the nozzle face 40.

As shown in fig. 5, after the pressurized cleaning, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in reverse while the liquid ejecting unit 20 is continuously stopped, and moves the housing 61 in the second wiping direction W2. That is, the control unit 29 wipes the liquid discharged by the pressurized cleaning and remaining on the nozzle surface 40 by the belt member 60. After wiping, the control unit 29 moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 and washes the same.

When the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is large, the control unit 29 may lengthen the length of the belt-like member 60 that is wound up by the winding portion 72 after bringing the belt-like member 60 into contact with the liquid ejecting portion 20, as compared with the case where the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is small. That is, the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by the pressurized cleaning is larger than the amount adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by the suction cleaning. Therefore, the control unit 29 can make the length of the belt member 60 wound up with the wiping after the pressure cleaning longer than the length of the belt member 60 wound up with the wiping after the suction cleaning.

Effects of the present embodiment will be described.

(1) The liquid absorbed by the belt-like member 60 is more likely to spread in the gravitational direction Z than in the horizontal direction due to the action of gravity. Accordingly, the greater the inclination of the band member 60 with respect to the horizontal plane, the more easily the liquid spreads. In this regard, the belt member 60 contacts the liquid ejecting portion 20 with the contact portion 60a pressed by the pressing portion 76, and wipes the liquid ejecting portion 20, and the inclination of the belt member 60 from the pressing portion 76 toward the downstream and the downstream is larger than the inclination of the belt member 60 from the pressing portion 76 toward the upstream and the downstream. That is, the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a by wiping the liquid ejecting section 20 is likely to spread downstream in the moving direction D, and is unlikely to spread upstream in the moving direction D. Therefore, when the winding portion 72 winds the belt-like member 60 and moves the contact portion 60a downstream in the movement direction D, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the portion of the belt-like member 60 to which the liquid is attached remains in the contact area A2, and to wipe the liquid ejecting portion 20 with the portion of the belt-like member 60 to which the liquid is attached.

(2) The length of the inclined area A3 in the moving direction D, i.e., the inclined length Ls, is longer than the length of the contact portion 60a in the moving direction D, i.e., the contact length Lc. Accordingly, the contact portion 60a located in the contact area A2 can be received in the inclined area A3 by winding the belt-like member 60 by the winding portion 72. The height H in the gravity direction Z in the inclined area A3 is higher than the height at which the belt-like member 60 sucks up the liquid. Therefore, the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a that moves to the inclined area A3 can be made difficult to diffuse to the contact area A2 by the gravity acting on the liquid adhering to the belt-like member 60.

(3) The control unit 29 winds the belt-like member 60 after bringing the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid ejecting portion 20. The length of the rolled strip member 60 at this time is longer than the contact length Lc of the contact portion 60 a. Therefore, even when the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a spreads upstream in the moving direction D, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the portion of the belt-like member 60 to which the liquid adheres remains in the contact area A2, and to wipe the liquid ejecting portion 20 with the portion of the belt-like member 60 to which the liquid adheres.

(4) The larger the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a, the more easily the liquid spreads to the outside of the contact area A2, and the more easily the spread range becomes. In this regard, when the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is large, the length of the rolled strip member 60 is lengthened, so that the portion to which the liquid diffusing upstream in the moving direction D adheres can be made difficult to remain in the contact area A2, as compared with the case where the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is small.

(5) The belt-like member 60 has a volume capable of holding the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a at the inclined region A3. Therefore, when the contact portion 60a is moved to the inclined area A3, the liquid adhering to the belt-like member 60 can be held in the inclined area A3, and the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a can be made difficult to diffuse to the contact area A2.

(6) Since the inclination of the belt-like member 60 with respect to the horizontal plane in the inclined area A3 is larger than the inclination of the belt-like member 60 with respect to the horizontal plane in the upstream area A1, the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is likely to spread downstream in the moving direction D, and is unlikely to spread upstream in the moving direction D. Therefore, even when the belt-like member 60 is wound up in consideration of the diffusion of the liquid adhering to the contact area A2 from the contact area A2 to the upstream side in the moving direction D, the winding up amount can be reduced.

(7) The height H in the gravitational direction Z from the downstream end of the contact area A2 to the lowermost portion of the regulating roller 77 is higher than the height at which the belt-like member 60 absorbs liquid from the lowermost portion of the regulating roller 77 to the contact area A2. Therefore, by moving the contact portion 60a with the liquid attached thereto to the lowermost portion of the restricting roller 77, for example, even when the amount of the liquid attached to the contact portion 60a is larger than the amount that can be held in the inclined area A3, the liquid that spreads from the contact portion 60a in the upstream of the belt-like member 60 in the moving direction D can be made difficult to reach the contact area A2.

The present embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within a range that is not technically contradictory.

As shown in fig. 8, in the first modification, the pressing portion may be constituted by a plurality of pressing rollers 81. When the liquid collecting device 43 includes two pressing rollers 81, a contact area A2 is formed between upper end portions of the pressing rollers 81. The liquid collecting device 43 may be provided with a downstream roller 82 provided between the pressing roller 81 and the regulating roller 77 on the conveying path of the belt-like member 60. The inclined area A3 may include a gentle inclined area A5 in which the inclination is gentle and a steep inclined area A6 in which the inclination is steep. Specifically, in the moving direction D, the downstream end of the contact area A2 to the downstream roller 82 is a gentle slope area A5. In the moving direction D, the lowermost portion from the downstream roller 82 to the restricting roller 77 is a steep inclined area A6. The steep inclined area A6 is located further downstream in the moving direction D than the gentle inclined area A5. The gentle angle θ3 between the horizontal plane and the belt-like member 60 located in the gentle slope region A5 may be smaller than 30 degrees or may be the same as the upstream angle θ1. When the gentle angle θ3 and the upstream angle θ1 are the same, the nozzle surface 40 can be wiped similarly in wiping in which the housing 61 is moved in the first wiping direction W1 and wiping in which the housing 61 is moved in the second wiping direction W2. The steep angle θ4 of the horizontal plane with the belt-like member 60 located in the steep inclined area A6 may be greater than the upstream angle θ1 and the gentle angle θ3 and greater than or equal to the downstream angle θ2. In other words, the inclination of the belt member 60 downstream and below in the moving direction D in the steep inclined area A6 is larger than the inclination of the belt member 60 upstream and below in the moving direction D in the upstream area A1. The control unit 29 may cause the winding unit 72 to wind the belt member 60 by a length longer than the total length of the contact length Lc and the length of the gentle slope region A5 in the moving direction D after the contact portion 60a is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 20 and wiped. That is, the control unit 29 can move the contact portion 60a that absorbs the liquid during wiping to the steep slope area A6.

As a second modification shown in fig. 9, the liquid collecting device 43 may include a grip roller 83 for gripping the belt-like member 60. The control unit 29 may wind up the belt-like member 60 with the pair of pinch rollers 83 positioned at the release position shown by the solid line in fig. 9, and after the contact portion 60a passes through the pinch rollers 83, the pair of pinch rollers 83 may be positioned at the pinch position shown by the two-dot chain line in fig. 9. By sandwiching the belt-like member 60 with the sandwiching roller 83, the possibility of the liquid held in the contact portion 60a diffusing upstream of the sandwiching roller 83 can be reduced. Thus, for example, the belt-like member 60 can be made smaller in volume in the inclined region A3 than can absorb and hold the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60 a. The height H of the inclined area A3 in the gravitational direction Z may be lower than the height at which the belt-like member 60 sucks up the liquid in the gravitational direction Z. Even in such a case, the possibility of the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a moving to the inclined area A3 diffusing to the contact area A2 can be reduced.

As shown in fig. 10, in the third modification, the pinch roller 83 may pinch the belt member 60 between the pinch roller and the restricting roller 77. The control unit 29 may wind up the belt-like member 60 with the pinch roller 83 positioned at the release position shown by the solid line in fig. 10, and after the contact portion 60a passes through the inclined area A3, the pinch roller 83 may be positioned at the pinch position shown by the two-dot chain line in fig. 10.

The grip roller 83 is capable of gripping the belt member 60 located in the inclined area A3 between the grip roller and the pressing portion 76. The control unit 29 may wind up the belt member 60 with the pinch roller 83 positioned at the release position, and after the contact portion 60a moves to the inclined area A3, the pinch roller 83 is positioned at the pinch position, and the belt member 60 is pinched by the pressing unit 76 and the pinch roller 83.

The liquid collecting device 43 may be configured to wind the belt-like member 60 at the receiving position.

When it is impossible to estimate the elapsed time from the start of wiping the strip member 60 to the next wiping, the control unit 29 may wind up the strip member 60 having a predetermined length. In this case, the fixed length is preferably the total length of the maximum diffusion length and the contact length Lc on the unreeling portion 70 side from the contact region A2 in the direction opposite to the moving direction D when the diffusion range becomes maximum after the maximum elapsed time from the attachment of the liquid to the contact portion 60a until the diffusion of the liquid in the tape-like member 60 is stopped in the use environment of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11. For example, in the wiping performed after the cleaning, the wiping in the first wiping direction W1 by the belt member 60 is performed twice in succession. When the elapsed time from the start of the first wiping to the second wiping is shorter than the maximum elapsed time and the elapsed time from the start of the second wiping to the next wiping cannot be estimated, the control unit 29 may make the length of the belt-like member 60 wound up with the first wiping shorter than a predetermined length which is the length of the belt-like member 60 wound up with the second wiping.

For example, when the liquid is ink, the time for which the dye component of the ink absorbed by the wet belt member 60 diffuses in the belt member 60 is longer and the diffusion range is also wider than the dye component of the ink absorbed by the dry belt member 60. Therefore, when the wiping liquid supply mechanism capable of supplying the liquid for wiping to the belt-like member 60 is provided, the control unit 29 may make the length of the belt-like member 60 wound up in association with the wiping of the belt-like member 60 to which the wiping liquid is supplied longer than the length of the belt-like member 60 wound up in association with the wiping of the belt-like member 60 to which the wiping liquid is not supplied.

During wiping, the liquid collected from the nozzle surface 40 is collected in the contact area A2 and the area in front of the contact area A2 in the wiping direction. In addition, the liquid absorbed by the belt-like member 60 is less likely to spread from the region sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40 to the region not sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40. Therefore, the control unit 29 can make the length of the belt member 60 wound up with the wiping of the unwinding side of the belt member 60 on the front side in the wiping direction longer than the length of the belt member 60 wound up with the wiping of the winding side of the belt member 60 on the front side in the wiping direction.

The liquid collecting device 43 may wipe the tape member 60 after winding the tape member. In this case, the belt member 60 may not be wound after wiping. When winding the belt-like member 60 before wiping, the control section 29 may change the amount of winding the belt-like member 60 based on the elapsed time since the last wiping.

The larger the number of nozzle groups to be subjected to suction cleaning, the larger the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 due to suction cleaning. Therefore, the control section 29 can lengthen the length of the rolled strip member 60 when suction cleaning is performed on all the nozzle groups, as compared to when suction cleaning is performed on one nozzle group.

The controller 29 may perform the winding operation of the tape member 60a plurality of times during the period from the start of wiping to the next wiping. In this case, the length of the belt-like member 60 wound by one winding action may be shorter than the contact length Lc. For example, the control section 29 may wind up the belt-like member 60 from the upstream end of the contact section 60a to the uppermost length of the pressing section 76 after bringing the contact section 60a into contact with the liquid ejecting section 20 and wiping, and further wind up the belt-like member 60 before wiping the next time. By the previous post-wiping winding action, the upstream end of the contact portion 60a is located downstream of the uppermost portion of the pressing portion 76. Therefore, the diffusion of the liquid upstream in the movement direction D can be reduced by the action of gravity, and the portion of the belt-like member 60 to which the liquid is not attached can be easily located at the contact area A2 by the rolling action performed before the subsequent wiping.

The inclined length Ls of the inclined region A3 in the moving direction D may be the same as the contact length Lc of the contact portion 60a in the moving direction D or shorter than the contact length Lc. In this case, the control portion 29 may wind up the belt-like member 60 in such a manner that at least a part of the contact portion 60a passes through the inclined area A3.

The liquid collecting device 43 may be configured without the restricting roller 77. For example, the inclined area A3 may be an area hanging downstream in the moving direction D from the pressing portion 76.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid of the minute amount of liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus also includes a granular, tear-like, linear trailing shape. The liquid may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the liquid may be any liquid in a state where the substance is in a liquid phase, and includes a liquid body having high or low viscosity, a sol, a gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, a solution, a liquid resin, a liquid metal, and a liquid metal melt. The liquid includes not only a liquid in one state as a substance, but also a liquid in which particles of a functional material composed of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. As a representative example of the liquid, ink, liquid crystal, or the like described in the above embodiment can be given. The ink herein includes various liquid compositions such as general aqueous ink, oily ink, gel ink, and hot melt ink. Specific examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus include, for example, an apparatus that ejects: the polymer is contained in a dispersed or dissolved form in a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescent display, a flat light emitting display, a color filter, or the like. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus for ejecting a biological organic material used for manufacturing a biochip, an apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing apparatus, a micro-dispenser, or the like. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus for ejecting a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin onto a substrate by precisely positioning a lubricant onto a precision machine such as a timepiece or a camera, or an apparatus for forming a micro hemispherical lens, an optical lens, or the like used for an optical communication element or the like. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus that ejects an etching liquid such as an acid or an alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like.

The technical ideas and the effects thereof, which are grasped from the above-described embodiments and modified examples, are described below.

(A) The liquid collection device is provided with: a band-like member capable of absorbing a liquid; an unreeling unit which has an unreeling shaft and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with a liquid ejection portion capable of ejecting the liquid; and a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member, wherein an inclination of the belt-like member toward downstream and downstream in the moving direction in an inclined region provided downstream in the moving direction from the pressing portion is larger than an inclination of the belt-like member toward upstream and downstream in the moving direction from the pressing portion.

The liquid absorbed by the belt-like member is more likely to spread in the gravity direction than in the horizontal direction by the action of gravity. Thus, the greater the inclination of the band-like member with respect to the horizontal plane, the easier the liquid spreads. In this regard, according to this configuration, the belt-like member makes the contact portion pressed by the pressing portion contact the liquid ejecting portion and wipes the liquid ejecting portion, and the inclination of the belt-like member from the pressing portion toward the downstream and the lower side is larger than the inclination of the belt-like member from the pressing portion toward the upstream and the lower side. That is, the liquid adhering to the contact portion by wiping the liquid ejecting portion is likely to spread downstream in the moving direction, and is unlikely to spread upstream in the moving direction. Therefore, when the winding portion winds the belt-like member and moves the contact portion downstream in the moving direction, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the portion of the belt-like member to which the liquid is attached remains in the contact region, and to reduce the possibility that the liquid ejecting portion is wiped with the portion of the belt-like member to which the liquid is attached.

(B) The liquid collecting device may further include a regulating roller disposed downstream and below the pressing portion in the moving direction and regulating the belt-like member downward from the pressing portion, wherein the inclined region is a region from a downstream end of the contact region to a lowermost portion of the regulating roller with which the belt-like member is in contact, and an inclined length of the inclined region in the moving direction is longer than a contact length of the contact portion in the moving direction, and a height of the inclined region in a gravitational direction is higher than a height of the belt-like member in an upward suction direction of the liquid.

According to this structure, the length of the inclined region in the moving direction, i.e., the inclined length, is longer than the length of the contact portion in the moving direction, i.e., the contact length. Therefore, the contact portion located in the contact region can be received in the inclined region by winding the belt-like member by the winding portion. The inclined region has a height in the direction of gravity which is greater than the height of the strip-like member to suck up liquid. Therefore, the liquid adhering to the contact portion that moves to the inclined region can be made difficult to diffuse to the contact region by the gravity acting on the liquid adhering to the belt-like member.

(C) The liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid; a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid; an unreeling unit which has an unreeling shaft and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion; a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member; and a control section that, when a length of the contact portion in the moving direction is set as a contact length, causes the winding section to wind the belt-like member by a length longer than the contact length after bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting section.

According to this structure, the control section winds the belt-like member after bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting section. The length of the rolled strip-like member at this time is longer than the contact length of the contact portion. Therefore, even when the liquid adhering to the contact portion spreads upstream in the moving direction, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the portion of the belt-like member to which the liquid adheres remains in the contact region, and to wipe the liquid ejecting portion with the portion of the belt-like member to which the liquid adheres.

(D) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the control unit may lengthen the length of the belt-shaped member that is wound up by the winding unit after the belt-shaped member is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting unit when the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is large, as compared with the case where the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is small.

The more the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion, the more easily the liquid spreads to the outside of the contact region, and the more easily the spread range becomes. In this regard, according to this configuration, when the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion is large, the length of the rolled strip member is lengthened, so that the portion to which the liquid diffusing upstream in the moving direction adheres can be made difficult to remain in the contact region, as compared with the case where the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion is small.

(E) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, in an inclined region provided downstream in the moving direction of the pressing portion, an inclination of the belt-shaped member toward downstream and below in the moving direction may be larger than an inclination of the belt-shaped member toward upstream and below in the moving direction from the pressing portion. According to this structure, the same effects as those of the liquid collecting device described above can be achieved.

(F) The liquid ejecting apparatus may further include a regulating roller disposed downstream and below the pressing portion in the moving direction and regulating the belt-like member downward from the pressing portion, wherein the inclined region is a region from a downstream end of the contact region to a lowermost portion of the regulating roller with which the belt-like member is in contact, and the inclined region has a longer inclined length in the moving direction than the contact length, and the inclined region has a volume capable of absorbing and holding the liquid adhering to the contact portion.

According to this structure, the length of the inclined region in the moving direction, i.e., the inclined length, is longer than the length of the contact portion in the moving direction, i.e., the contact length. Therefore, the contact portion located in the contact region can be received in the inclined region by winding the belt-like member by the winding portion. The band-like member has a volume capable of holding the liquid adhering to the contact portion in the inclined region. Therefore, when the contact portion is moved to the inclined region, the liquid adhering to the belt-like member can be held in the inclined region, and the liquid adhering to the contact portion can be made difficult to diffuse to the contact region.

(G) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the height of the inclined region in the gravity direction may be higher than the height of the belt-like member that sucks the liquid upward in the gravity direction. According to this structure, the same effects as those of the liquid collecting device described above can be achieved.

(H) In a method for controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid; a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid; an unreeling unit that holds the tape-shaped member in a state in which the tape-shaped member is rolled into a roll; a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion; and a winding portion capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member, wherein in the control method of the liquid ejecting apparatus, when a length of the contact region in the moving direction is set to a contact length, the belt-like member is wound by a length longer than the contact length after the contact portion is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion. According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus described above can be achieved.

(I) In the method of controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus, when the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is large, the length of the belt-shaped member that is wound up by the winding portion after the belt-shaped member is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion may be increased as compared with the case where the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is small. According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus described above can be achieved.

Claims

1. A liquid collecting device is characterized by comprising:

a band-like member capable of absorbing a liquid;

an unreeling unit which has an unreeling shaft and holds the tape member in a state in which the tape member is rolled into a roll shape;

a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with a liquid ejection portion capable of ejecting the liquid; and

a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member,

the inclination of the belt-like member toward the downstream and the downstream in the moving direction in an inclined region provided further downstream in the moving direction than the pressing portion is larger than the inclination of the belt-like member toward the upstream and the downstream in the moving direction from the pressing portion,

The belt-like member includes a horizontal portion having a horizontal slope, the horizontal portion being disposed downstream of the pressing portion and upstream of the winding portion in the moving direction.

2. The liquid collection device of claim 1, wherein,

the liquid collecting device further includes a regulating roller disposed downstream and below the pressing portion in the moving direction and regulating the belt-like member downward from the pressing portion,

the inclined region is a region from a downstream end of the contact region to a lowermost portion of the restriction roller with which the belt-like member is in contact,

the inclined length of the inclined region in the moving direction is longer than the contact length of the contact portion in the moving direction,

the inclined region has a height in the gravitational direction that is higher than a height at which the belt-like member sucks the liquid upward in the gravitational direction.

3. A liquid ejecting apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid;

a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid;

A pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion;

a winding portion having a winding shaft and capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member; and

and a control section that, when a length of the contact portion in the moving direction is set as a contact length, causes the winding section to wind up the belt-like member by a length longer than the contact length after wiping the liquid ejecting section with the contact portion and separating the contact portion from the liquid ejecting section.

4. A liquid ejecting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein,

when the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is large, the control portion increases the length of the belt-like member that is wound up by the winding portion after the belt-like member is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion, as compared with the case where the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is small.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein,

the inclination of the belt-like member toward the downstream and below in the moving direction in an inclined region provided further downstream in the moving direction than the pressing portion is larger than the inclination of the belt-like member toward the upstream and below in the moving direction from the pressing portion.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein,

the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a regulating roller disposed downstream and below the pressing portion in the moving direction and regulating the belt-like member downward from the pressing portion,

the inclined region has an inclined length in the moving direction longer than the contact length, and has a volume capable of absorbing and retaining the liquid adhering to the contact portion.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein,

8. A control method of a liquid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that,

the liquid ejecting apparatus includes:

a liquid ejecting section ejecting liquid;

a belt-like member capable of absorbing the liquid;

an unreeling unit that holds the tape-shaped member in a state in which the tape-shaped member is rolled into a roll;

a pressing portion capable of pressing a contact portion located in a contact area in the tape-like member unwound from the unwinding portion and bringing the contact portion into contact with the liquid ejecting portion; and

A winding portion capable of moving the contact portion in a moving direction by winding the belt-like member,

in the control method of the liquid ejection device,

when the length of the contact area in the moving direction is set as a contact length, the belt-like member is wound by a length longer than the contact length after wiping the liquid ejecting section with the contact portion and separating the contact portion from the liquid ejecting section.

9. The method for controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein,

when the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is large, the length of the belt-like member that winds up the winding portion after bringing the belt-like member into contact with the liquid ejecting portion is increased as compared with the case where the amount of the liquid adhering to the contact portion is small.